[1] Antonio Menezes wrote: how I wish I could place in your hands a magic wand so that for a brief period Goan catholics could relive the way they did in ecstasy during the last years of glorious Portuguese rule .
Most Goan catholics lived in mudhouses and some with thatched roofs called hoompios, However, I agree with modern day Lusitanian eulogists that Goans lived and slept with their doors and windows open even during the darkest nights without fear of robberies. But I am just curious to know what was in these houses worth robbing ? [2] Soter wrote: After all how can Goa always stay what it was? Change is required and Lucky Singh can very well ensure this change. Life in Goa needs to be dynamic. How long can we live in a paradise? We also need hell. How long can we enjoy peace ? we also need crime. ----- COMMENT ------ a: After reviewing Antonio Menezes' statement on "Literacy in Goa" and his invisible and illogical basis for such a dogmatic statement, I will not ask for evidence of his most recent statement that "Most Goan catholics lived in mudhouses". Perhaps, he will provide us with some basis or reference for that statement. Then again, he alone knows what he meant by the term "mud": Did he mean (as per dictionary.com): "Slang" Wet plaster, mortar, or cement. or "Sanskrit' Muthra or Urine. I will not ask. I will also not ask him of he knows of the type of houses the folks from neighbouring areas lived in......or for that matter ....the type of houses the majority of people (in Mumbai lived in) before the arrival of the Portuguese and Brits.......or for that matter .....now! b: Then, I read the above quoted from Soter. Using the Antonio Menezes terms of reference, one can easily say that Soter is an apologist for the Portuguese. I am with Antonio Menezes. Change must come. The majority of Goans must stop deluding themselves that it is worth living in houses. They must get used to live in the open air and on the streets. Besides, living on the streets will make Goans "street smart". That, in turn, will increase their 'literacy' . Brilliant, Antonio Menezes. Brilliant. jc
